1 Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus Introduced and Translated by ...

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means “sin,” but fifth-century Greeks did not have this concept. In Oedipus we might say it was his hasty anger that led him to make tragic mistakes. Mythologists see man’s fears and triumphs in it. Playwrights, and composers have written their versions of it: Jean Anouilh, Igor Stravinsky, Jean Cocteau, Heiner Müller and Athol Fugard. The greatest actors have wanted the role of Oedipus for themselves, like Lawrence Olivier and John Gielgud, and Orson Welles in the film Citizen Kane has often been compared to this great hero. One thing is constant in all the interpretations. Oedipus was a great man who struggled against the terrible things that happened to him and emerged victorious in his search for his own identity. He was a man who never gave up in spite of the odds against him and his terrible suffering. Greek tragedy tells us that suffering teaches, and sometimes this is the only way we can learn. Plato says the unexamined life is not worth living. The great playwright Sophocles is telling us that life is always worth living even in the worst case. The point is never to give up. This play celebrates endurance and the will to discover the truth. The struggle for knowledge, particularly the knowledge of what is good and what constitutes ethical action, makes life worth living. This is what constitutes human happiness, and we are warned at the end of the play not to say a person is happy, until we see how she or he dies. It is only then that one can see whether they lived a life of quality, and it is only this life that deserves to be called truly happy. 6
First Performance: 6 th at Penn Theatre October 11-November 2, 2003 Directed by George Ye Produced by Dale Morris and Linda Castro Oedipus: Matt Scott Priest, Chorus: Mark Broadnax Creon: Brother of Queen Jocasta: Marc Overton Tiresias: Jack Banning Jocasta: Cristina Soria Messenger from Corinth: Jack Missett Second Messenger, Chorus: Kati Behumi Shepherd: David S. Cohen Antigone, Chorus: Catie Marron Ismene, Chorus: Abbey Grace Howe Chorus: Joline Hui George Soete Kelly Costa 7
Page 1 and 2: Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus Intro
Page 3 and 4: Sophocles was born at Colonus near
Page 5: his own destruction. There is the s
Page 9 and 10: A crowd led by Zeus’ PRIEST gathe
Page 11 and 12: PRIEST The news must be good; other
Page 13 and 14: CREON All those with the king died,
Page 15 and 16: And protect me from all harm. Just
Page 17 and 18: I forbid any citizen of this land o
Page 19 and 20: A man who’s not afraid to commit
Page 21 and 22: OEDIPUS But shouldn’t you tell me
Page 23 and 24: OEDIPUS You live in perpetual night
Page 25 and 26: TIRESIAS Nonsense Your parents thou
Page 27 and 28: I have nothing to say, Either to ag
Page 29 and 30: OEDIPUS It’s not wise to think yo
Page 31 and 32: OEDIPUS I don’t deny it. CREON Yo
Page 33 and 34: OEDIPUS All the same, I have to rul
Page 35 and 36: Anger hurts the angry man most of a
Page 37 and 38: death at his son’s hands. So much
Page 39 and 40: OEDIPUS Is he here now In the palac
Page 41 and 42: and killing my father Polybus, who
Page 43 and 44: Or touches what must not be touched
Page 45 and 46: JOCASTA What are you saying Oedipus
Page 47 and 48: OEDIPUS That would all be fine, if
Page 49 and 50: Yes. That’s what frightens me. ME
Page 51 and 52: That’s how you got your name, Oed
Page 53 and 54: Please. Listen to me. I beg you. Do
Page 55 and 56: CHORUS Yes. I recognize the man. Al
Page 57 and 58:
OEDIPUS Don’t hit him! He doesn
Page 59 and 60:
OEDIPUS And I, to hear it. But it m
Page 61 and 62:
Time, the all-seeing, Has found you
Page 63 and 64:
Terrible horror for both husband an
Page 65 and 66:
OEDIPUS What is left for me to see,
Page 67 and 68:
yes, you engendered the most shamef
Page 69 and 70:
from sickness or anything else: I w
Page 71 and 72:
CREON Tell me. I’ll listen. OEDIP
Page 73 and 74:
GLOSSARY Abae (A, as in add, -bee),
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